Expanded Submission Guidelines for Sylvan Dell Publishing

Any folklore folks out there? Check out this hot from the presses info:

Sylvan Dell Publishing (www.sylvandellpublishing.com) is expanding into Social Studies (cultures, geography, history) concepts through folklore. Our current focus is/has been fun-to-read (fictional) picture books with non-fiction science and math concepts woven through the story. The back of each of our books has a section called “For Creative Minds” that goes deeper into explaining the science or math facts behind the story. We see folklore , fables, and myths as a good way to bridge the gap between science and social studies. Traditionally folklore was used to explain why things happened (why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, explain constellations, volcanoes, or animal adaptations, etc.).

What we are looking for:

· Adaptations or retellings of culturally-specific fables, folklore, or myths that explain a scientific concept. Please include links or bibliography to original sources if applicable (to ensure there are no copyright issues).

· Culture must be identified and specific (Cherokee, Navajo, Tlingit, Greek, Roman, Incan, Mayan, etc.)

· If the Native American culture exists today, links to or contact information for their arts council or similar organization would be helpful.

· Please ensure that your adaptation/retelling has a targeted reading level (2nd or 3rd grade is good, no higher than 5th grade).

· Ideally, we would love for the author and/or the illustrator to be of the represented culture (assuming the culture still exists). As noted in our submission guidelines, authors should not submit art unless they are both an author and a professional illustrator. Illustrators submitting samples should follow normal submission guidelines but should also indicate if they are affiliated with a Native American culture for possible matching.

· The For Creative Minds section would include: scientific explanation of concept, information about the specific culture, a map showing historic/current area of culture, etc.